Chapter Text
The Avengers compound was immersed in absolute silence that afternoon. Maria was in the kitchen, eating one of the sweets Bruce had prepared before leaving on a mission with her father. She hadn't bothered asking what it was about; it wasn't interesting. What she wanted most was for the compound to be completely empty, without the Avengers, without her father. Just her and Natasha.
Natasha was resting after breaking her arm on one of the Avengers' missions. Steve had asked, quite earnestly, for Maria to take good care of her. Of course, she couldn't deny the Captain anything.
Maria finished eating the sweets from a glass bowl and put it in the refrigerator, glancing around before heading to Natasha's room. She walked up to the door and knocked three times, waiting with her hands behind her back and her body restless. Natasha Romanoff, the most beautiful woman Maria had ever seen, appeared. Her long red hair was messy and swept to one side. There were small traces of tears in the corners of her eyes, and her cheeks were slightly creased from sleep, making the scene before her adorable.
Natasha raised an eyebrow, letting a tiny smile escape.
— Yes?
— I came to see how you're doing. Captain asked me to take good care of you. — She emphasized the words, stretching her lips into a smile and blinking lightly.
— I know. For your information, I'm doing perfectly fine. — She opened the door wider, stepping to the side.
Maria took it as an invitation and walked inside, looking around. Natasha's room was different from all the other Avengers' rooms; it was as if it had a personality of its own, aside from hers, of course. The walls were white, but there were several rock band posters, fashion magazines, and pictures hanging from a clothesline of moments with her sister and her family — the Avengers. The bed was made with a black comforter and gray pillows and mattress. A white fur pouf sat in the corner of the room, and beside it was a bookshelf. Near the closet, there was a desk covered with beauty products and her laptop.
— Your room smells nice. — Maria observed.
When there was no response, she slowly turned her head, but stopped when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. Maria smiled and didn't dare turn around; instead, she leaned her body against Natasha's. Because of their significant height difference, the woman's head rested against the upper part of her neck. She wouldn't deny that she loved it, and she knew Natasha did too. It wasn't for nothing that the redhead usually played the big spoon.
— Are we alone?
Maria nodded, covering Natasha's hands around her waist with her own. Natasha's breath brushed against the back of her neck, making her skin prickle and her stomach tighten in a pleasant way. It was incredible. Simply feeling her presence there.
— That's why you came here, then. — Natasha said, resting her chin against the back of Maria's neck. — Looking for trouble, Stark?
— Maybe. — Maria smiled, turning to face her and lowering her head to look down at her. She wrapped her arms around Romanoff's neck, wetting her lips as she admired her beauty.
Natasha let out a little contented sound, tightening her slender fingers around Maria's waist, her green eyes meeting the brownish-green ones, both shining with the same intensity.
— Doesn't your arm hurt? — Maria asked, lowering her gaze to the cast.
Natasha did the same, staring at it for a moment before shaking her head.
— It just itches a little, but I'm almost completely healed. Steve is exaggerating.
— He's worried.
— For no reason.
— Is that so? — The younger woman raised an eyebrow.
Natasha laughed at her and let go, only to walk over to the door and close it. She locked it with the digital lock and returned to Maria, taking her hand and pulling her onto the bed.
Maria didn't like to admit it, but she cherished these moments. When Natasha pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing her warm body against hers. When strands of her hair brushed lightly against her bare shoulder and her scent filled Maria's nose in a way that made it impossible for her to think about anything else.
Truthfully, she hated admitting that she simply liked being close to Natasha Romanoff. Hugging her, kissing her, breathing in her scent, simply being able to see her every day, touching her hair and feeling her hands moving over her body. Natasha was perfect, in the most extreme sense of the word; there was nothing about her that left Maria dissatisfied.
— You're being awfully quiet. You're scaring me. — Natasha's voice sounded, her accent occasionally making an appearance.
Maria smiled, intertwining their fingers and turning her face toward her. Those huge green eyes stared at her with curiosity, and those beautiful pink lips were slightly parted, as if they were always asking for a kiss. Maria couldn't hold herself back.
She leaned closer to Natasha's face and placed a hand on her neck, brushing her lips lightly against hers and slowly closing her eyes. Natasha brought a hand to the black hair spread across the pillow, gently stroking it, while the kiss naturally deepened. Maria let out a sigh as she felt Natasha's tongue gently meet hers, her fingers lightly tugging at the hair at the back of her neck.
Turning completely toward Natasha, Maria held her neck, making the kiss more intimate, sliding her other hand down to her waist and squeezing lightly. Because of her injured arm, Natasha seemed a little lost, leaving it hanging loosely at her side. However, her other arm now tangled its fingers in the black strands, pulling Maria closer.
Maria pulled away a little, catching her breath and looking at the woman in front of her. Natasha smiled at her, brushed a strand of hair from her face, tucked it behind her ear, and placed a kiss on her neck.
— I think we shouldn't do anything today, right? — Maria indicated with a nod, glancing at her arm.
— Yeah, I think that's for the best. Let's respect the Captain.
— We could sleep, then.
Natasha looked at her in surprise but said nothing. She pulled Maria's body closer, lying her down against her chest and beginning to gently stroke her head. Maria wrapped her arms around her body, clinging to Natasha like a koala, and sighed, rubbing her face against her.
— Has anyone ever told you that you look like a kitten?
Maria lifted her head, looking at her with furrowed brows.
— You're practically kneading bread on me.
Her cheeks burned slightly, turning red. Maria complained softly, tightening her arm around Natasha's waist.
— Shut up, Romanoff. Go to sleep.
Natasha laughed quietly, her hand still in Maria's hair as she adjusted herself until she was comfortable. Maria said nothing else, closed her eyes, and gradually surrendered to sleep. Natasha watched her for a little while longer before finally falling asleep as well.
👠
The loud noises and shouting outside made Maria wake from her almost deep sleep. She felt a familiar weight on top of her and slowly opened her eyes, still drowsy, looking at Natasha, who had thrown her legs over her. Grumbling softly, she gently pushed the woman's body off her, got up, and walked toward the door.
— Maria? What are you doing? — Romanoff's hoarse voice sounded softly.
Maria froze in place and looked at her. Natasha was propped up on her uninjured arm, her sleepy eyes fixed on her. Her reddish hair was still messy, strands scattered across her face. It was a beautiful sight, and Maria could probably have stood there for hours admiring her, but something was worrying her now. The Avengers had returned, and with them, her father. He couldn't know that she was there, in the room, with Natasha, sleeping together like...
Girlfriends.
No.
Maria swallowed hard and approached the door without answering. She grabbed the handle, but before she could open it, a body pushed her against it. Natasha was pinning her against the door, strands of red hair falling across her face, which was twisted into an expression that slightly hurt Maria's heart.
— How many times are we going to do this?
Maria blinked softly, shocked.
— Do what?
— How many times are you going to run away from here with your tail between your legs whenever someone comes back? How long are we going to have to hide? — she said through clenched teeth, her lips trembling slightly.
— Natasha...
The redhead held her there, gripping her shoulder with one hand while the cast hung at her side. Her green eyes seemed to spark with anger, while her expression grew increasingly stern.
— Tell me, Maria. How long are we going to be a secret?
Maria, however, didn't answer. The sounds of loud conversation and Thor's boisterous laughter echoed through the compound, almost serving as a wake-up call for Natasha, who stepped backward without saying anything else. She ran a hand through her hair and looked at Maria once more. Her eyes were dull, her lips dry and thin, with no smile.
— Go. — she said simply.
Maria lost her breath when Natasha let her go, longing for her touch despite the heavy atmosphere. Her mouth opened to say something else, but nothing came out. With her heart shattered, she moved away from the door and opened it. Natasha's deep silence only made her feel more uncomfortable; she didn't want this to happen, but she still didn't feel brave enough to admit whatever their relationship was.
Maria knew she was wrong. She knew she should turn around, take Natasha by the hand, and kiss her in front of everyone. But she couldn't. Her fear was more real than her desire to be who she was. Swallowing her own shame, pride, and dignity, Maria walked out the door, leaving Natasha alone, tired, and very, very angry with her.